A few days ago, I was browsing for an upcoming exciting game. I discovered Metaphor ReFantazio from a post in the PlayStation Pilipinas group, where a member raved about the game. I became intrigued so I looked into it.
Great thing Atlus gave a playable demo, so I instantly downloaded it.
Before we go any further, check out the demo video for this intriguing game!
Video Source: Official ATLUS West
Metaphor ReFantazio at a glance:
- Release Date: October 11, 2024 (in commemoration of Atlus’ 35th anniversary)
- Developer: Studio Zero
- Publisher: Atlus/Sega
- Genre: JRPG
- Platforms: PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox
I played the demo of this game on my PS5, and I was immediately hooked by it! I’ll begin with my observations. Are you ready? Here we go!
Prologue Demo Introduction
The game welcomed me by allowing me to choose a language and a setting for network connection for in-game features. Afterwards, the anime-type intro has played. I put my DualSense down and enjoyed the trailer so I get a glimpse of what the game is. The king has been assassinated by this guy!
Atlus did a great job with the demo because they enabled the gamers to get a glimpse of the full game. The short clip showed the assassination of the king led by Prince Louis. A genius tactician and the youngest general of the nation.
And after a couple of minutes of the prologue animation, the main menu appeared.
I liked the intro. The game’s teaser is effective and gives me the impression that I want to dig deeper and explore the game’s story.
Main Menu:
- New Game: starts the demo of the game.
- Load Game: load from the previously saved game and continue where you left off.
- System: opens the game's settings and configuration. You will find various settings here.
- Settings
- Music
- Sound Effects
- Voice
- Vibration
- and many more
- Credits
- Settings
New Game
After I press the New Game, there goes the game’s dialog screen, which asks me for the name that I will use. I used my dog’s name! Later, it is followed by the difficulty of another video clip. In here, the protagonist and his fairy companion named Gallica are introduced. They were riding a carriage when suddenly they were attacked by bandits. He fell off a cliff, and afterwards, I gained control of my character!
Fast forward, I get hooked by the demo, and I felt I was already playing the full game! Good job to Atlus for this!
What I like about Metaphor ReFantazio:
The Demo Itself!
The demo takes more than 5 hours to complete and covers a glimpse of its story. After you finish the game, you may want to play more! The demo of this game is longer than full games released in the past, which is insane! Plus, the demo only covers the tip of the iceberg for the story.
The Real-Time Combat
The real-time combat was first introduced to me here. The game gives a similar impression when I play Valkyrie Elysium, where I can hack and slash any enemy. The graphics are also pretty similar (only on the real-time combat).
I attached a video of Valkyrie Elysium here and let me know what you think!
Video source: PlayStation
The enemies on hard mode are insane! I was down after 2 hits, so I had no choice but to walk and escape! 😅
The enemies hit like a truck! One hit from hard mode and they gave me this much damage!
I continued playing the game; the story continued when my character joined the corps because they would meet with their contact at the northern border base.
After a couple of cutscenes, I was introduced to the turn-based battle that is heavily influenced by the game previously released, which is Persona 5.
The turn-based battle system
We gamers are really thirsty for these kinds of battle systems. Metaphor ReFantazio really nailed the recipe for a great turn-based battle, and the gamers love it! It resembles the battle with Persona 5! Don’t you agree?
By the way, the game Persona 5 was released in September 2016, but the graphics can be compared at par with the Metaphor ReFantazio! If you haven’t played this game, then I suggest you should play it now!
The boss fights are satisfying.
In the demo, they also include fighting a boss. I was also surprised when they called the enemies ‘human! 😅 Fighting the boss in hard mode gives a great experience and will also let you make a smarter choice between attacking or healing.
Can't relate? Let me show you the boss fight here
Video source: Tara Bidyogeyms Tayo!
The Story
By playing the demo, you will easily get hooked and captivated by the story. It is very easy to follow. I also like the story’s setting, which is set in the medieval fantasy realm, and the characters are against a very strong foe. I personally like the setting of the main characters being the underdog.
The Characters:
The normal characters here have horns and resemble Vincent Brooks from the game, Catherine! I can’t help but smirk because I recall that hilarious and interesting game in that game! 😏 Aside from that, each of the characters has their own charm and a story to unfold, which is intriguing. I look forward to discovering their stories in the full release of the game.
The Protagonist
The protagonist is an unnamed boy from the Elda tribe who is on a secret mission, which is to lift the deadly curse placed on his best friend, and also a prince of Euchronia. I first noticed his eyes’ colors were different. This resembles Shoto Todoroki from My Hero Academia and Sakura from Wind Breakers!
The main character looks weak and cannot throw a punch, but don't be deceived by it—during a boss fight, he has experienced an awakening and defeated the first main boss by himself!
He is also accompanied by a little fairy named, Gallica. This little fairy is small but terrible. She helps the protagonist in scanning the terrain, and many other things!
The Music
The background music during exploration, cinematic, and gameplay is amazing. I love how the music affects my mood in playing the game more often! I attached the OST of this game.
What could be better?
Of course, no game is perfect. I noticed these minor things that, if applied, will make the game much better overall.
Story Choices
There are a variety of choices, but these choices only trigger different dialogues and do not really affect the game’s outcome. I wish they would implement setting up multiple endings, and the flow of the story is determined by the choices.
But hey, this is just the demo, and I may be wrong here!
Too much animation
The animations and transitions in this game are top-notch! However, I noticed that the longer I play, I find the small details too much, and it is distracting my gameplay. I wish there was an option that could minimize the animations.
Should you buy Metaphor: ReFantazio?
I believe it is worth your budget—if you don’t have many backlogs, then go for it! This game is huge, and there’s so many things you can explore.
Buy from the official Atlus website
Buy this game on the PlayStation Store
Conclusion:
And that’s it. Overall, I believe Metaphor: ReFantazio is a great game! This will be released in a couple of days, and according to other gamers, this game is a GOTY candidate, in which I agree! There’s so much to cover here, but I guess I provided something that will help you decide whether this game is a go or a no.
So, what are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments section!
